Waymo expands pause to four cities as robotaxis keep driving into floods
TechCrunch • • business
Key Points:
- Waymo has paused its robotaxi services in four cities—Atlanta, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston—due to difficulties navigating heavy rain and flooded roads, following a recent recall related to these issues.
- A Waymo robotaxi got stuck for about an hour in a flooded street in Atlanta, despite software updates intended to restrict driving in high-risk flooded areas, highlighting ongoing challenges in handling severe weather conditions.
- The company relies on National Weather Service alerts to prepare its vehicles for poor weather, but unexpected flooding in Atlanta occurred before official warnings were issued, complicating the robotaxis' response.
- Waymo is currently under investigation by the NHTSA and NTSB for multiple safety concerns, including improper behavior around school buses and a January crash involving a child in Santa Monica, with ongoing document requests and reviews.
- The NHTSA is monitoring the recent flooding incident and remains in communication with Waymo, prepared to take further action if necessary.